Mitch McConnell: It's clear Senate will vote against President Trump's national emergency

President Trump declared a national emergency to free up funding for his border wall between the U.S and Mexico. But declaring a national emergency isn’t new -- in fact, the use of emergency powers is older than the country itself.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hoped President Donald Trump wouldn't declare a national emergency over border security, but said Monday that he was "obviously" unsuccessful in arguing against the move.

The Senate is likely to pass a resolution to block Trump’s emergency declaration, McConnell told reporters in Louisville.

“I think what is clear in the Senate is there will be enough votes to pass the resolution of disapproval, which will then be vetoed by the president," he said. " And then, in all likelihood, the veto will be upheld in the House.”

McConnell said he had hoped Trump "would not take the national emergency route."

"Once you decide to do that, I said I would support it, but I was hoping he wouldn't take that particular path," he said.

During a speech Saturday night in Bowling Green, Paul said he "can't vote to give extra-Constitutional powers to the president," according to the Bowling Green Daily News.

"I can't vote to give the president the power to spend money that hasn't been appropriated by Congress," Paul said, as reported by the Bowling Green newspaper. "We may want more money for border security, but Congress didn't authorize it. If we take away those checks and balances, it's a dangerous thing."

A spokeswoman for Paul, Kelsey Cooper, confirmed Monday the senator had made those comments.

Paul joins Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who have all said they'll vote against the national emergency declaration.

Assuming all the Senate's 47 Democrats and their independent allies vote against Trump, opponents would have the 51 votes needed to pass.